The design phase is critical in construction projects, as it directly impacts cost, quality, and execution efficiency. However, it suffers from structural deficiencies in communication, coordination, and early problem detection, leading to delays, cost overruns, and inefficiencies. While Lean Construction has been widely applied in execution phases, its adoption in design remains fragmented, lacking a clear framework for identifying and evaluating Lean tools in this context. This study aims to identify, classify, and evaluate Lean tools applicable to the building design phase, emphasizing their functionalities, benefits, and limitations. A systematic literature review and expert validation process led to the identification of 16 Lean tools and 26 design-related functionalities. Among these tools, Building Information Modeling (BIM), Last Planner System (LPS), and Agile Design Management (ADM) were identified as the most impactful, collectively addressing 88% of design functionalities. Expert insights revealed that ADM improves task control and decision-making clarity, LPS reduces uncertainty and enhances workflow reliability, and BIM strengthens coordination and early conflict detection. This study provides a structured perspective on Lean tool integration during design, highlighting their benefits and limitations and offering guidance for their implementation. The findings contribute to improving design efficiency, minimizing waste, and fostering collaboration in construction projects.

Efficient scheduling is essential for successful and sustainable road construction projects. However, conventional planning approaches often lack adaptability, visualization, and integration with modern technologies, leading to schedule deficiencies and cost overruns. Therefore, this paper studies the influence of BIM uses in mitigating planning deficiencies in road construction scheduling. A four-stage research method was employed: (1) identification of BIM uses relevant to road projects, (2) determination of principal causes contributing to scheduling deficiencies, (3) cross-impact analysis to quantify BIM’s influence on these deficiencies, and (4) expert interviews to characterize key BIM uses. Results highlight that 4D construction planning, quantity take-off and cost estimation, and traffic management planning positively impact road scheduling, reducing errors in work breakdown structures, resource allocation, and coordination between project stakeholders. BIM streamlines communication, supports proactive risk management, and enables real-time schedule adjustments by providing an integrated digital environment. This research shows the advantages of applying BIM in road construction to improve project planning, curtail scheduling setbacks, and encourage adopting innovative practices. The results provide information that planners can utilize to enhance the use of BIM in scheduling road construction projects.

Road intersection projects are crucial for road infrastructure networks’ safe and efficient operation. Despite their importance, the construction of these projects faces significant challenges, such as delays, cost overruns, and litigation. Several causal factors for these phenomena have been identified as being associated with the construction schedule planning process. However, more studies need to be conducted to analyze the construction schedule planning process in detail. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to analyze the schedule planning process of road intersection projects, emphasizing identifying and associating deficiencies in the planning process with their consequences on Colombian projects. The research method comprises three main stages: (1) identification of the schedule planning processes, (2) relation of the causes of deficiencies to the identified processes, and (3) analysis of the consequences of these deficiencies on the projects. A total of 29 schedule planning processes were identified, to which 22 causes of deficiency were assigned based on interviews with ten experts. The influence of these causes on schedule and budget deviations was analyzed based on the study of 25 Colombian road intersections. The results show that the lack of experience of the planner and poor estimation of material quantities strongly influence the generation of schedule and budget deviations in road intersection projects. Thus, this study contributes to improving the schedule planning process of road intersection projects by identifying the shortcomings and processes that can lead to schedule and budget deviations.

The design phase of buildings represents a dynamic and complex process, constantly evolving with modifications and feedback. It involves numerous professionals from various specialties, resulting in a fragmented and iterative trial-and-error process. Analyzing waste is the first step towards increasing the efficiency of the design process for high-rise buildings using Lean methodology. Initially, the design phase was characterized, and processes were classified into productive, contributory, and non-contributory work. Typical waste in building design was identified, analyzed, and ranked based on frequency and impact to facilitate understanding and elimination. Three traditional design stages were identified: Schematic Design (SD), Design Development (DD), and Construction Documentation (CD). A total of 33 typical wastes were classified into the eight Lean categories. Key waste ranked by the Frequency-Adjusted Importance Index (FAII) for cost, schedule, and quality metrics were late-stage design changes, waiting for resources and information, rework, and late-stage clarification of requirements.

Low productivity in high-rise building projects represents a recurring challenge in Chile, often linked to deficiencies in management during the design phase. This process, crucial for project coordination and success, is affected by fragmented roles, lack of integrated methodologies, and limited adoption of internationally recommended practices. Despite its relevance, little research has addressed how this stage is currently managed in the Chilean context. This study evaluates the design management of high-rise building projects by identifying design processes, characterizing the temporary organization formed by professionals, and analyzing their role participation. The methodology included a literature review, expert validation, surveys, and interviews with industry professionals. A total of 22 specific processes were identified across Preliminary, Basic, and Detailed design phases, and 12 roles were mapped to these processes. The study compares current practices with good practices from the literature, including project management standards and Lean, BIM, and Agile methodologies. The results reveal discrepancies between ideal and actual role involvement, operational fragmentation, and limited application of management tools. These findings highlight key areas for improvement in the Chilean construction sector and provide a foundation for future research.